Love's Meinie: Three Lectures on Greek and English Birds

The names given first, in capitals, for each bird, are those which the Author will in future give it, and proposes for use in elementary teaching. They will consist only of a plain Latin specific name, with one, or at the most two, Latin epithets; and the simplest popular English name, if there be one; if not, the English name will usually be the direct translation of the Latin one.

Then in order will follow—

I. Linnæus's name, marked L.

II. Buffon's name, marked F, the F standing also for 'French' when any popular French name is given with Buffon's.

III. The German popular name, marked T (Teutonic), for I want the G for Mr. Gould; and this T will include authoritative German scientific names also.

IV. The Italian popular name, if one exists, to give the connection with old Latin, marked I.

V. Mr. Gould's name, G; Yarrell's, Y; Dressler's, D; and Gesner's, Ges, being added, if different.

VI. Bewick's, B.

VII. Shakspeare's and Chaucer's, if I know them; and general references, such as may be needful.

The Appendix will thus contain the names of all the birds I am able to think or learn anything about, as I can set down what I think or learn; and with no other attempt at order than the slight grouping of convenience: but the numbers of the species examined will be consecutive, so that L. M. 25,—Love's Meinie, Number twenty-five,—or whatever the number may be, will at once identify any bird in the system of the St. George's schools.

The following note by the Author has in previous editions faced the first page of Lecture III., with the exception of the Nos. i.-vii., which are now added by the Editor for the sake of completeness.

Names of the birds noticed, according to the Author's system, with reference to the sections of the text and the Appendix in which the reader will find their more melodious scientific nomenclature:—

I

141. RUTILA FAMILIARIS. ROBIN REDBREAST

Motacilla Rubecula. L.

Rouge-Gorge. F. Roth-breustlein.—Wald-roetele.—Winter-roetele.—Roth-kehlschen. T.

Petti-rosso. I.

Erythacus Rubecula. G. Rubecula Erythacus. Ges.

Erythaca Rubecula. Y.

Rebecula Familiaris. D.

Ruddock. B.

Ruddock, in Cymbeline; tame Ruddocke, in Assembly of Fowlês; full robin-redebreast, in the Court of Love:

"The second lesson, Robin Redebreast sang."

It is rightly classed by F. and Y. with the Warblers. Gould strangely puts it with his rock-birds, 'saxicolinæ,'—in which, however, he also includes the sedge warbler.

The true Robin is properly a wood-bird; the Swedish blue-throated one lives in marshes and arable fields. I have never seen a robin in really wild mountain ground.

There is only one European species of the red-breasted Robin. Gould names two Japanese ones.

II

142. HIRUNDO DOMESTICA. HOUSE SWALLOW

Hirundo Rustica. L.

Hirondelle Domestique. F.

Schwalbe. T. Swala, Swedish, and Saxon, whence our Swallow: but compare Lecture II., § 44.

Rondine Comune. I. (note Rondine, the Swallow; Rondone, the Swift).

Hirundo Rustica. G. and Y.

Chimney-Swallow. B.

III

143. HIRUNDO MONASTICA. MARTLET

Hirundo Urbica. L.

Hirondelle de Fenetre. F.

Kirch-schwalbe. (Church-Swallow.) T.

Balestruccio. I.

Chelidon Urbica. D. and G.

Hirundo Urbica. Martin. Y.

Martlet, Martinet, or Window-Swallow. Y.

I cannot get at the root of this word, 'Martlet,' which is the really classical and authoritative English one. I have called it Monastica, in translation of Shakspeare's "temple-haunting." The main idea about this bird, among people who have any ideas, seems to be that it haunts and builds among grander masses or clefts of wall than the common Swallow. Thus the Germans, besides Church-Swallow, call it wall,—rock,—roof,—or window, swallow, and Mur-Spyren, or Munster Spyren. (Wall-walker? Minster-walker?) But by the people who have no ideas, the names 'town' and 'country,' 'urbica' and 'rustica,' have been accepted as indicating the practical result, that a bird which likes walls will live in towns, and one which is content with eaves may remain in farms and villages, and under their straw-built sheds.

My name, Monastica, is farther justified by the Dominican severity of the bird's dress, dark gray-blue and white only; while the Domestica has a red cap and light brown bodice, and much longer tail. As far as I remember, the bird I know best is the Monastica. I have seen it in happiest flocks in all-monastic Abbeville, playing over the Somme in morning sunlight, dashing deep through the water at every stoop, like a hardcast stone.

IV

144. HIRUNDO RIPARIA. BANK MARTLET

Hirundo Riparia.

Hirondelle de Rivage. F.

Rhein-schwalbe, (Rhine-Swallow,)—ufer-schwalbe, (Shore-Swallow,)—erd-schwalbe, (Earth-Swallow). T.